Theology of the Handicapped Space

We all know why it is there. We all know who is supposed to use it. We all know who isn't. You'd think the handicapped parking space would be a simple matter. If you are handicapped enough to get a license plate or a card that hangs from your mirror (who qualifies is a whole 'nother discussion), you can park in the space. No plate, no card, no parking. Easy, right?

I sit here 3 or 4 mornings a week and I can't help but notice the handicapped spot - and who parks there. It's a small parking lot and it is often full, but not always. There are 5 different ways this spot is normally used:

1. The lot wasn't full, a middle aged woman in a Mercedes SUV pulled in from the parkway and swung directly into the spot. There were other spots open. She left her car running (in fact, the turn signal was still blinking), ran in to get her coffee and ran out again. "I can park here if it's fast."?

2. The lot was full, an elderly woman with a noticeable limp and the appropriate handicapped card in her windshield pulled into the spot, walked in to get her coffee and left.

3. The lot was completely full, any one of a number of cars (I've seen Rovers, Passats, Minis and Priuses pull this one) creeps through the lot and finally pulls into the handicapped spot. The driver then either sheepishly slinks or confidently marches (there is no in between) inside to get their coffee. a) "I guess I can park here if there isn't any other option"? b) "I can park here because they need my business and they should have a bigger lot"?

4. The lot was busy, a well-used and well-stickered early 90's model Corolla pulls up to the front door. A woman gets out and walks in while the man driving the car backs halfway into the handicapped spot and half into the "no parking" area, narrowly missing the A-frame sign placed specifically to prevent him from parking directly in front of the store. "I can park here because you won't let me park where I want"?

5. The lot is pretty full, a beautiful car (subjectively or objectively) pulls into not just the handicapped spot, but also half of the spot next to it and proudly makes their way inside, turning halfway to arm the car alarm and admire their ride. "I couldn't park anywhere else because parking lots are dangerous places for cars like mine"?

There are plenty of places in life that should be a simple matter. Right and wrong, black and white, yes and no, do or don't. Yet, we can still find ways to muddy the waters, to create shades of gray. We do this by looking only at ourselves and considering only our needs instead of thinking first about the needs of others. "I can do it if it is right for me right now"?

Update 12/10 - When it's snowing the spot is nothing short of a free-for-all. "Extreme circumstances remove all guilt"?

Challengers

As a coach, part of my job was to teach players the right way to play. They had to have the right form and be in the right place. They had to know when to move and when to stay, how to read the other team and how to react to them. That was the easy part of coaching.

Another part of my job as a coach was to "get the most out of the talent I had." It was to challenge my players to play bigger than they were, faster than they were, better than they were. This wasn't always as easy. I offered food money for certain accomplishments; I threatened the team with more conditioning for mistakes. Once, I had an opposing coach pull me aside and tell me that my team plays hard, but "you just don't have enough bullets in the gun." In other words, we weren't big enough, good enough or fast enough to compete. As a coach looking for ways to challenge my team, this was a gift. When we played against that coach's team every player on the court had a chip on their shoulder and something to prove because those words were playing over and over again in each player's ears.

The coaches I had challenged me. Some yelled, some set high expectations, some offered praise. Is this something only coaches do?

Obadiah worked for King Ahab, even though he was a believer and a servant of the Lord. He had done great things in the past, but never publicly stood up to his boss. Along comes Elijah to challenge him. We don't know if Elijah was purposefully challenging Obadiah or if the same brash attitude he displayed was just expected of others. Either way, he tells Obadiah to go and act, to stop resting on his past accomplishments and live for today.

Who in your life needs to be challenged? Who can be bigger, faster or better? Who needs a push or a pull or a nudge in the right direction? Who can do great things if only you challenged them?

What's stopping you, don't you have enough bullets in your gun?

Luke 6 - Heart

"And you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."

It makes me so mad when I let people out into traffic and they don't give me the little "thank you" wave. I know it's a small thing, but it really gets under my skin. I'll I'm asking for is a little gratitude, right. Just let me know that you appreciate me taking one spot further back in this line of traffic. I could have just rode the bumper of the person in front of me and shut you out. (I've done it before.) Is it so hard to just give a little wave!?!

Okay, so why do I get worked up just typing about this? Where is my heart for the ungrateful? What does that say about my heart for the wicked? Looks like God and I have work to do.

Luke 6 (and 16) - The Letter or the Intent

Jesus had a number of fights with the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath. Over and over he did things on the Sabbath day that the Pharisees declared were not allowed. He healed people, picked grain, told people to carry their mats, etc.

Why all the fighting? What was the big deal?

Jesus was doing what he always did - trying to get people to think. He wanted them to see the heart of the matter, the reason behind the Sabbath restrictions, not just the restrictions themselves.

The Pharisees knew the Sabbath laws, what they didn't remember (or consider) was why they were instituted. Were they written to enforce inactivity one day a week? Were they written to keep people from being overworked? Were they written to make God more important than work? Were they written to give people a specific time to turn their hearts to what God wants?

The fourth commandment tells us to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. This intent was to be accomplished by refraining from working. This day was different, it was special, it should not just be treated like the other 6 days which were filled with work. Not working was the means, not the end.

Back to Jesus. What was he doing on the Sabbath? If he was healing people, feeding people, saving people, could anything be more holy? Would the day have been more holy if he sat home and twiddled his thumbs? The Pharisees were looking at the letter of the law (which they had refined, polished, applied, multiplied and reapplied) while Jesus was looking at the intent.

Those jerks! We would never do such a thing! But this is our natural tendency. Turn to Luke 16 and read the parable of the shrewd manager. Go ahead. It irks you a little bit doesn't it? If not, go read it again. The manager stole form the owner, then stole again after he got caught and the owner applauds him for it! That's not right. It's not fair! He should have been punished and yelled at, not applauded. We are stuck on the letter of the law, not the Intent.

Let's break it down. Who are we in the story? We're the manager. God is the owner. If we look at the story, we've been caught not being good managers of what God has given us. Protest all you want, this is where we all fall. (Even if you've tithed everything since the first allowance money you were given, EVERYTHING you have is God's and intended for his uses. Everything we spend [dollars or hours] on something other than God's service is mis-management.) So far, so good (or not good).

So, what does the manager do? He uses the owner's stuff (that he has control of) to make friends. (Don't think, "I'll give you $50 to hang out with me." Think "I'll pick up the tab" or "This round is on me.") The manager does NOT pocket the money. He doesn't keep it for himself - he uses it. More specifically, he uses it to build relationships. A relationship with a Christian is the first step in a relationship with Christ.

The letter of the law says, "Give a tenth of everything you own to God." The intent of the law is that all of our possessions belong to God and should be used to Love God and Love People. It is literally the least we should do to give a tenth. The parable says that before we die (get fired), we should start using some of what God has entrusted with us to make friends and influence people.